Work Text:
The sound of glassware is clunking in the living room of the Arcetas as the maid stirs the freshly squeezed lemonade and honey in a pitcher.
Five people are currently sitting down as they wait for the head of the Arceta household to arrive.
The room is quiet because the people in there are not the kind to settle on small talk, so, they skip the pleasantries.
These people are all for the business, after all.
Except for the two young women who are awkwardly facing one another as the couches they’re sitting on are across from each other.
Mariah thinks that Nicolette is nothing but a boring, know-it-all person.
Nicolette thinks that Mariah is a reckless brat.
The funny thing? They are about to be the victims of an arranged marriage set up by no other than their lovely parents.
“I’m very sorry, everyone. Just had to take care of something important back in the office.” Mr. Arceta says as he finally enters the living room in his suit and tie.
The owner of Arceta, Inc. kisses his wife on the lips then turns his cheek for a beso-beso with his only daughter. (Mariah did it half-heartedly as she hoped that it would make her parents realize that she doesn’t want the arrangement to push through.)
Mr. Arceta faces the Vergaras and nods to their head of household saying, “Henry.”
The owner of Vergara Inc. nods back and acknowledges him as well, “Enrique.”
“Okay, let’s settle down.” Enrique Arceta announces to the group as if they’re in a board meeting.
“Dad, you’re not in a meeting.” Mariah blurts out as she rolls her eyes mildly. This directly hit Nicolette’s funny bone and the Vergara heiress barely managed to keep her laughter from leaving her mouth.
Nicolette covers her mouth to suppress it—Mariah sees it and feels proud despite of herself.
“Mariah Queen.” The first time Mrs. Arceta speaks and it’s her scolding the girl.
“I’m sorry.” Mariah apologizes softly.
THREE WEEKS AFTER THE WEDDING
“I’M SORRY!” Nicolette feels her soul leaving her body as she loudly apologizes to her wife and wasted no time in slamming the door shut. It was a necessary apology because she absentmindedly opened the door to their shared bathroom and saw a naked Mariah in the shower. She thought that she was alone in their house.
“Shit!” Nicolette expresses her exasperation. “Great! Now we have another thing to fight about. Good job, Col.” She talks to herself as she paces back and forth just outside their bedroom—waiting for Mariah to come out.
Nicolette decides to sit on the couch and wait for Mariah.
When Mariah opened the door to come out of their room, Nicolette immediately stood up—her face shows nothing that is short of worry and guilt.
She was about to open her mouth when Mariah beat her to it, lifting her pointer finger as if to say, “not a word.”
Nicolette nods and looks down at her feet.
Then, she heard Mariah’s footsteps until she didn’t.
Her wife left her standing on the same spot.
Nicolette sighed.
THE DAY AFTER THE BATHROOM INCIDENT
Mariah is at the office, currently reading the contracts that she was about to sign. A knock disturbs her concentration and she sighed while pushing her glasses up to rest on her head.
“Come in.” She commanded without looking at the door. Instead she had her eyes closed, resting them.
“Ma’am, these were delivered for you.” Her assistant informs her upon entering.
When she opens her eyes to deal with such nonsense, she is surprised to see that her favorite flowers and snacks are being held by the assistant.
“Place them here, please.” Mariah gestured towards the freespace on her desk.
The assistant did as she was told and Mariah thanked her before she exited the office.
Mariah smiles as she picks the bouquet up and smells the flowers. This made her sigh contentedly.
She proceeds to take the card out and read what it says,
“Mariah, I truly apologize for what happened last night. I promise to be more careful in opening doors even those that are not in our home. (This made Mariah chuckle and feel soft as she caught the words: “our home” She wasn’t able to stop herself from smiling.) If you’d let me, I would really love to get to know you not because of the things that happened and ,still, are happening to us because we are who we are, but because you deserve to be known as a person. Happy birthday, Mariah. Sincerely, Nicolette.”
“Shit.” Mariah softly cursed as she failed to prevent a tear from landing on Nicolette’s card. Now, a part of it had smudged ink due to the tear. Mariah did her best to do damage control by blowing air into the printed words hoping it would dry fast.
The Arceta heiress dabbed her eyes with tissue as she sat speechless on her executive chair. Nicolette just managed to make her world stop at four o’clock in the afternoon in what once was a usual boring day at the office—living off under such routine even made Mariah forget her own birthday yet Nicolette was the first person to greet her.
She decided, then, that she would gladly say yes to everything that Nicolette asks.
TWO WEEKS AFTER MULTIPLE DATES
“First impression? Hmmm…that you were a reckless brat.” Nicolette’s candor only makes Mariah amused as her chuckle filled the room they’re in.
The pair are currently lounging closely side-by-side on the couch pretending to keep up with the movie they both decided to watch.
Mariah got bored in the middle of watching and randomly asked Nicolette about the girl’s first impression of her.
The TV turned off and that prompted Nicolette to turn her head to look at Mariah.
“Why’d you do that?”
“I want to talk to you.”
“Okay??? About what?”
“Ugh, I want. to. talk. WITH you.”
Nicolette chuckled and looked straight again.
“Smartass.” Nicolette murmured.
“What was that?” Mariah challenged; her voice filled with fake strictness.
“I said…”
Mariah waited—arms crossed, one eyebrow raised, body twisted so that she was facing Nicolette’s side profile.
“I want to kiss you.”
That was enough to make Mariah’s heart gallop like a wild horse. It’s beating fast that she believes Nicolette would hear it.
“Col.” (A warning.) Mariah said, trying to be calm and serious about it but inside, she felt weak.
Nicolette, feeling cocky, twisted her body to copy Mariah’s position—mischief apparent in her facial expression.
Nicolette placed her arm on the couch’s back cushions, flexing it so she could rest her head on her palm. She just kept on staring at Mariah.
“What?”
“What?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I already told you.”
“Why would you want to…kiss…me?” Mariah’s voice gradually lowered in volume.
“I don’t know, Mariah. Maybe it’s because I think you need one.”
“This isn't funny anymore.” Mariah stood up and was about to turn her body away saying, “I’m going to be-” when she was cut off by Nicolette’s pull on her hand, making her face-to-face with the Vergara heiress. When this happened, it was Mariah who cupped Nicolette’s face first and closed the gap between them.
Mariah kissed Nicolette as if the girl was her oasis in a desert.
Nicolette perfectly matched Mariah’s rhythm and made it her decision to place her hands on the girl’s middle back.
The subtle movements Mariah was making were actually calculated to slowly lead Nicolette to step back and sit back on the couch, taking Mariah with her.
Mariah straddled Nicolette the moment the girl lowered down on the couch.
Nicolette’s hands traveled from Mariah’s back toward her hair, using her fingers to massage her scalp.
When their heated kissing slowed down, they instinctively pulled away to catch their breaths.
They stared at each other, both with bedroom eyes at that point.
Nicolette spoke first as she tucked a stray hair behind Mariah’s ear.
“You can go to bed now.” Nicolette teased the blushing girl.
Mariah smiled and bowed her head down to avoid Nicolette’s teasing look. Then she pressed her head on Nicolette’s collar area.
This only made Nicolette irrevocably fall for her.
Nicolette also bowed her head to place a kiss on Mariah’s head and sniff on her hair that had a lovely floral scent.
Then, she made Mariah lift her head to face her.
With Nicolette’s hands cupping Mariah’s face, she told the girl,
“Stop hiding. You’re adorable.” Then she kissed Mariah’s forehead.
The blush that was already showing on Mariah just intensified.
Nicolette chuckled and gently pulled the girl for a hug.
Then, Mariah whispered to her, “Come to bed with me.”
For the first time since their arranged marriage, the two would wake up from the same side of the bed—and a warm one at that.
To Be Continued (In Your Imagination)